Coin-controlled mechanism.



J. J. LASHERK; W. B. WASSUNG.

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM. APPLICATION man Auehta. 1914.

PatentedAug. 10, 1915.

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1.1. LASHER & W.' B. WASSUNG.

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

HHHIHIHHHH I Q? a Z i: 5 nuewtow' J. J. LASHER & W. B. WASSUNG.

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1914. LMQfiWw Patented Aw. 10,1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

1. LASHER & W. Bi WASSUNG.

com CONTROLLED MECHANISM;

RPPLICATIONA'HLED AUG. 13, 1914. 1, 27. aten'tedl Aug. 10, 1915. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4-v JOSEPH J. LASHER,

FATENT orrrcn.

OF RICHMOND HILL, AND WALTER IB. WASSUNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

Application filed August 18, 1914. Serial No. 857,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH J. Lasimn and WALTER B. WASSUNG, both citizens of the United States, and residents, respec-- tively, of Richmond Hill, county of Queens, and State of New York, and borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, in the. county of Kings and State of New York,' have;invent ed certain new and useful Improvements-in Coin-Controlled Mechanism, of following is a specification. j

()ur invention relates to a sanitary toilet device and refers particularly to a new and which the .valuahle sanitary toilet seat and operative means connected therewith.

One object of our invention is a toilet seat which when not inv use will be subjected to a disinfecting and germicidal reaction.

Another object of our invention is a toilet seat which when released will be automatically subjected to a disinfecting and germicidal chemical.

Another object of our invention is a toilet seat which when released will be automaticallya subjected to a disinfecting and germicidal chemical and will be heldin that position until released therefrom either with or Without a coin operating mechanism.

The insanitary, unhygienic and objectionable results incident to the general use of public toilets are fully recognized and numerous attempts have been made to overcome these objectionable features, but they have all presented difficulties that have prevented their general adoption.

Our invention is a device, simple in construction, easy of manipulation, inexpensive to manufacture, and absolutely effective in accomplishing the desired sanitary effect. It possesses the further advantage that it can be used in conjunction with the public seat, allowing of the use of-either the ordinary seat or our sanitary seat, as the user may desire, thus not interfering with the rights of the public, should the owner of our device desire to make a charge for its use.

Our invention comprises broadly a movable toilet seat, which when not in use or released from retention, automatically deposits itself into a position where its upper surface is subjected to the disinfecting and germicidal action of the proper chemicals,

I Specification of Letters Patent.

and remains in such contact until. it is to be used. If itis desired to lock or hold the seat in this position until mechanically released either with or without the assistance .of a coin, proper mechanism may be em ployed to accomplish this result, although we do not limit ourselves to such a mechanically released device. e

The disinfecting receptacle of our device has a recess upon its face into which the seat fits, the surfaces of the recess in contact :with the seat having perforations into the disinfectant holding chamber, thus causing the-fumes of the disinfectant to come into contact with the upper surface and sides of theseat, or only the upper surface and inner side of the seat may be so treated if desired. The advantages of such a recess are evident as it prevents any undue loss of disinfectant during the period in which the seat is not used, and disinfects all the surfaces of the seat which are liable to come into contact with the body during its use.

As a disinfecting medium any disinfectant or germicidal compound may be used, the fumes of which are effective for the purpose described, but we prefer to use formaldehyde for this purpose.

'lheaccompanying drawings illustrate one form of our invention, in which the employment of a coinis necessary in order to release the toilet seat from the disinfecting recess.

v Figure 1 illustrates a front plan view showing the toilet seat in its verticalposition. Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-section View through the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

illustrates a front plan view showing the the top 12, the bottom 13,

' view through will revolve the bar .36 by system 31, 33, 35, .36 carrying thetoilet seat a cross-section -view through the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Fig. .9 illustrates a cross-section the line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

description of the The following" is a illustrated in the acform of ourdevice as companymg drawings. I

The box 10 is-composed of the frontjll,

the sides 14, 14, and the back 15. The front 11 has an elliptical opening 16, for purposes described later and the back 15 is removable in order to gain access to the interior of the box 10. A disinfecting receptacle is comprised 0 the back 17, the side 18 and the front 19 which is extended inwardly toward the con ter then perpendicularly outwardly at 20 and finaliy'inwardly at 21, tl1us forming a receptacle which will fit flush against the inward side of the front-11 of the box 10, and extend outwardly through the opening 16 of the box 10 forming an nel 22 between. the central member 21 of the disinfecting receptacle and the inner edge of the opening 16 of the box front 11.- That portion of the disinfecting receptacle behind the front 11 a wick or absorbent material 23 capable of holding a disinfecting liquid, which liquid is introduced through the closable opening 24 in the back 17. The surface 20 and the front 21 are perforated in order to allow the disinfecting ifumes to escape from the disinfecting receptacle. The channel 22 is ofsuch a size and shape as toallow' of the close receipt'of a toilet seat 25, the upper surface and interior edge of the opening of which, when in this jected to the disinfecting fumes passing through the perforations in 20 and 21. The plunger rod 26 passes through the top 12 of the. box 10 and extend wardly being loosely pivoted at 27 to the arm 28 which is fixedly attached to or integral with the bar 29, revolubl'e in the brackets 30, 30 attached to the bottom 13 of the box 10.

Fixedly attached to the bar 29 are the arms 31, 31, pivotally attached at 32.32 to the arms 33.33 which are in turn pivotally attached at 34.34 to the arms 35.35. The arms 35.35 are fixedly attached to the bar 36, revoluble in the brackets 37.37 attached to-the front 11 of the box 10. The bar 36 carries the fixed arms 38.38 fixedly attached to the seat 25. The plunger operating device described above isiso arranged that the downward movement of the plunger 26 will revolve the bar 29 which in turn means of the link the revolution of the bar from its vertical position in the disinfecting channel 22 outwardly and downwardly until it rests horizontally over the toilet bowl 39. A s iral spring 40 surrounds a portionof the 1'0 29,

I then vertically elliptical chanof the box 10 contains position, are sub.

s down- ,it outwardly, groove'52 of the plunger rod 26, thus allowhaving its ends afiixed tothe bracket 30 and the link member 31, so that when the pressure upon the plunger'26jis removed, the seat 25 is released from retention,- the action of the spring will cause the seat 25 to assume its vertical position in the disinfecting channel22. I

A coin mechanism disposed to lock the seat in its vertical position and to release the seat whenby the insertion of a coin in conjunction with the plunger movement comprises a coin chute of an irregular 'Y shape, in which one arm 45 extends directly upwardly from the arm 44 and the other branches oif diagonally upward 43 and upward 42 being integral with the coin opening 41 in the top 12 of the box 10. The arms of the coin chute are of a diameter and width to allow of the ready passage. of a proper coin. carries a at arm 46 extending therefrom and through a vertical opening 47 in the coin chute, arm 45, the extremity of thearm 46 carrying a thereto, slidable and extending branching point of the chute arms 43, and 45.

arm

within the chute arm Pivotally attached [to the supporting -member 49 at 50 is the locking member,"

shown in detail in Fig. 5 .and Fig. 8, which comprises the'bar 51 held the groove '52 of the plunger 26 by the spring 53 attached to the end of the bar 51 and the supporting member 49. The other end of the bar- 51 is extended into an inverted U shaped element 57 having an inset member, so arranged that whenthe locking member is in its normal position, thebar .51 will set in the groove'52 preventing the pushing down of the plunger, and a com 55 inserted in the slot 41 will fall down the chutes 42, 43 and rest against the wall of the coin chute and the inset ing member as shown at 56 of Fig. 6. The mechanism will then be in he position indicated by the full lines of Fig. 8. If now the plunger rod 26 be pressed downwardly, the member 46, 48 will move downwardly through the coinchute arm 45, and the lower end of the arm 48 will engage wi h the edge of the coin which will be pressed downwardly, thediameter of the coin pressing against the locking member 57 forcing releasing the bar 51 from the ing' a further downward movement of the plunger rod 26, and the forcing of the coin completely past the locking memb causing. it to fall down the coin chute 44 into the coin receiver 58. p the locking member, during the passage of the coin and the releasing of plunger rodis shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 9. The distance between-the wall of the coin chute and The plunger 26' 54 in its upper The position of flat arm 48 perpendicular.-

45- downwardly toward 1; the

54 of the lookcause the coin to operate upon the locking.

device and free the bar 51 from the groove j 52. .When the coin has passed through the chute and the plunger rod 26 is returned to its original position, the bar 51 slips into the groove 52 looking the rod from further movement except upon the introduction of another coin.

' A toothed pawl 60 is pivotally attached at 61 to the front 11 of the bOX l0 and so positioned as to pass along the plunger rod 26 when the latter is moved and catch in the inset 62 of the plunger rod 26, when the rod is at its lowest position. The pawl 60 is maintained in the inset 62 by the spring 63 connected with the pawl 60 and the member 64 attached to the supporting mem- I ber 49. The purpose of the pawl member being explained later.

Upon the plunger rod 26 is the spring operated pawl 64 which during the clownward movement of the rod 26, acts upon the ratchet wheel 65, causing it to rotate and" record the number of movements of the plunger rod upon a counting device 66,

The coin receptacle 58 may have a door 67 and lock'in the rear wall 15 of the box 10.

The entire mechanism is shown hinged to a wall as at 68, 68 in order that it may be swung away from the wall and the interior examined from the rear of the box 10, it being locked to the wall by means of the hasp lock 74. I

The seat of our device may be used alone upon a toilet bowl, or in conjunction with the ordinary seat, and in the drawings it is shown as used in conjunction with the regular seat 69, the seat 25 of our mechanism when in use being situated over the regular seat, and protected therefrom by the rubber cushions 70, 70.

The pipe 71 connects the bottom of the disinfecting receptacle with the toilet bowl, the connection 72, being one that is easily severed as by means of a coupling in order that it may be disconnected when it is desirous ofswinging the device upon the hinge 68, 68.

\Vhen our device is in its normal condition, the seat 25 is in a vertiifal position resting in the channel or recess 22 and being sub ected to the germicidal action of the fumes from the disinfecting receptacle. Theseat is held and locked in this position by the position the bar 51 resting within the groove 52 of the plunger rod 26, thus preventing the downward movement of the latter. A coin of suitable diameter is introduced through 4 the coin chute as at 56. The plunger rod 26 is then moved downwardly, the plunger rod members 46, 48 being thus passed downwardly within the coin chute member 42, the arm 48 pressing upon the upper edge of the coin, and forcing the arm 51 outwardly, allowing the coin to fall downwardly into the coin box 58 at the same time releasing the arm 51 from the plunger rod groove 52, and allowing a further downward movement of the plunger rod 26. As the plunger rod descends, it revolves the bar 29 by means of the link 28, which in turn causes a revolution of the bar 36 through the medium of the link system 31, 33, 35. As the bar '36 revolves it brings the seat 25 downwardly and outwardly toward a horizontal position. Nhen the plunger rod 26 has descended until it has reached its lowest position, the pawl 60 rests within the inset 62 of the plunger rod 26, and the seat 25 is held in shown by the dotted lines 73 of Fig.4, in which position it is held when the plunger rod is released. At the same time the pawl 64, has registered upon the counting device 66 by the revolution of the ratchet wheel 65. The seat 25, as shown at 73 of Fig. 4 is then pulled downwardly until it is in a horizontal position resting upon the regular seat 69, this downward movement causing the pawl 60 to leave the inset 62 thus releasing the plunger rod 26. WVhen theseat 25 is released from retention in its horizontal position, the spring 40 causes it to again resume its vertical posi tion in the disinfecting channel, in which position it islocked until released by the introductionbf another coin. As the seat 25 is thus returned to the disinfecting chantended arm movable within the coin chute,

a recess within said rod, locking means engaging in said recess for preventing the downward movement of the rod, and pre venting acoin from passing entirely dottti the coin chute, so situated that an inserted to its original position, allowing the lockcoin will pass partially down the chute and ing member to engage withifi recess to be retained between the locking member prevent the downward movement of the rod.

and the extended arm of the rod, the eX- Signed at New York city, in the county 1 5 tendedarm of the rod being so situated that of New York and State of New York, this the downward movement of the rod will 12th day of August, 1914. 1 press the extended arm upon the coin, re-, JOSEPH J. LASHER,

leasing the locking member from the plum WALTER B. WASSUNG. ger rod, allowing its downward movement Witnesses:

10 t and allowing the passage of the coin down Enw. RANDOLPHNVALTON, J11,

the chute, and means for returning the rod T. V. LYNCH.

(Iopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the flommissioner ot fatiits, Washington, I). c. 

